I welcome you warmly to the St. Gellért Music Festival 2024.  As always, this year’s program is highly diverse and unique. I invite you to browse through our programs, which range from Bach to Ligeti.To highlight a few: There are works by Chopin with young Szeged native pianist Soma Balász -Piri who is currently enrolled at Mozarteum University Salzburg where I have been teaching for decades, and one of the most celebrated works by Bach, Goldberg Variations with the St. Gellert Baroque Players with period instruments. What would the festival miss if there were no works by Mozart, in particular such a brilliant and dynamic symphony as “Haffner”  In our second chamber concert, one would have the chance to hear Beethoven and Mozart alongside Ligeti and Bartók (Miraculous Mandarin with the Görög Sisters of Szeged). At the end, we present a highly profiled duo Klara Würtz (piano) and  Kristóf Baráti (violin) who will perform Beethoven Sonata for Violin and Piano No. 8 in the first half, followed by Concerto for Violin, Piano and Strings by Mendelssohn with the Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra 

I call upon you to share these great works with a sense of excitement! The St. Gellért Music Festival promises unique musical journeys.

Artistic Director Yoon Kuk Lee